USS Lauderdale
The USS ''Lauderdale is a former United States of America Naval Vessel commandeered immediately after the war by Williamstown. It serves as the principal power supply for the settlements and the home of Williamstown Radio. Despite suffering heavy damages during the war, the ''Lauderdale remains an important part of the Williamstown infrastructure. History The USS Lauderdale has a storied history, extending back to the 2060s. The Lauderdale was commissioned in the late 2050s to aid the US's Pacific fleet in an effort to modernise them to combat the Chinese. Construction was performed in a shipyard in Los Angeles and finished in 2065 when the vessel was launched as the USS Lauderdale, with a full complement of 143 men. The Lauderdale served tow brief services in the North Pacific, patrolling around the Alaskan coast, before being deployed first to the US's holdings in the Philippines and then the King Island Military Base in Tasmania, Australia. From 2076 forwards, the Lauderdale worked closely with the Australian Defence Force in anti-refugee and anti-submarine patrols of the Bass Strait. On the day of the Great War, the Lauderdale was docked at Williamstown, where the US Navy Band was playing for a local primary school. The massive attacks on the Hoddle Grid extended far enough south for the EMP blast to knock out much of the equipment aboard. However, the crew was able to batten down the hatches fast enough to prevent radiation breaching the interior of the ship. Williamstown Cooperation Following the immediate aftermath of the War, the Lauderdale opened its hatches to recce the ship and discuss future plans. With the engine and navigational equipment out of action, the ship was stuck at its mooring. As such, the captain of the ship at the time decided to remain isolated, eating the ship's rations and attempting to repair the damaged equipment to the best of their abilities. The best of their abilities were, however, not worthy. Without a drydock and the suitable tools, the damages to the ship could not be fixed--they were simply too significant to be repaired otherwise. As such, starting in December 2077, the crew of the Lauderdale were forced to engage with the survivors in Williamstown in hopes of possibly repairing the ship and, if not, getting fresh rations. While much of Williamstown was quickly falling into disrepair, the local MP did manage to make an arrangement with the crew of the Lauderdale: in exchange for their power and (perceived) protection, Williamstown would provide them with food. Early the next year, this agreement was amended to include operating Williamstown Radio. Under this arrangement, the Lauderdale ''operated for nearly 40 years, with the Americans aboard the ship existing in their own world away from the rest of the Post-War world. Lance's Integration With the rise of Lance as mayor of Williamstown, the arrangement the ''Lauderdale crew and the town had changed. Laudie, as the ship was nicknamed by the Williamstowners, was too good a defensive and important position for it to be so separate from the rest of the community. As such, in 2109, Lance, with the backing of the Williamstown Defence Force, strong-armed the crew of the Lauderdale to give up their control of the ship and settle in the main Williamstown township. Lance set about further integrating the Laudie into the Williamstown structure. Any extra features--such as crew-quarters and facilities, navigational facilities and other such extremities--were removed and replaced with storage and offices. The WDF moved in and used the area as the primary administrative area. Through the Years Laudie changed little over time, evolving only slightly with Williamstown. As offices, the ship has been used by all the different governments of Williamstown for various purposes. In the modern days, it is used by the 'Hobson Bay Port Authority, 'WDF and Williamstown Radio as offices and storage. Layout The USS Lauderdale has changed significantly in its use of space since launch. While original it was filled with engine rooms, bunks, galleys, machine shops and other such amenities and requirements, now it has been stripped to the bare-bones. Of the original two decks within the hull, only the generator room remains the same. All other space is used either as military stores or offices. The communications array remains untouched, however, the bridge is now the office for the chief of the WDF. Inhabitants The modern inhabitants of the Lauderdale are primarily of Williamstown-origin. The ship is no longer a bunkhouse and serves solely as a workplace. The primary inhabitants are members of the Williamstown civil and military services. Technology At its launch, the USS Lauderdale ''was a standard US Navy frigate, with its standard armaments and equipment. However, little of that has survived the war or the years that followed. In 2287, Laudie is still an imposing sight, however, it is showing more and more signs of its age. The WDF has fortified the ship with scrap metal, spikes and makeshift defences. In this way, it is defended in the standard way as the rest of Williamstown. The Lauderdale still contains two bits of pre-war technology which is essential to the Williamstown infrastructure: the nuclear reactor and the radio-communications centre. The ''Lauderdale's reactor provides the bulk of the power to Williamstown and has been carefully repaired and maintained with every bit of damage it has sustained. The radio-communications centre has been treated in a similar manner, although it is of a lesser priority; after all, Williamstown will be able to survive without a radio but not without power. Category:Victoria Category:Pre-War Tech Category:Places